Nuclear technology in the United States
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President Dwight D. Eisenhower opened the Shippingport power plant atomic power station on May 26, 1958 as part of his Atoms for Peace program. Shippingport was the first commercial nuclear power plant built in the United States.
In 2004 in the United States, there were 104 (69 pressurized water reactors and 35 boiling water reactors) commercial nuclear generating units licensed to operate, producing a total of 97,400 megawatts (electric), which is approximately 20% of the nation's total electric energy consumption. The United States is the world's largest supplier of commercial nuclear power.
A large number of plants have recently received 20-year extensions to their licensed lifetimes.
Several US nuclear power plants closed well before their design lifetimes, including Rancho Seco in 1989 in California, San Onofre Unit 1 in 1992 in California (units 2 and 3 are still operating), Zion in 1998 in Illinois and Trojan in 1992 in Oregon.
The Three Mile Island accident has been the most serious accident experienced by the U.S. nuclear industry.
The Nuclear Power 2010 Program coordinates efforts for building new nuclear power plants[1] and the Energy Policy Act makes provisions for nuclear and oil industries. [1][2]
As of 2005, no nuclear plant had been ordered without subsequent cancellation for over twenty years. However, on September 22, 2005 it was announced that two sites had been selected to receive new power reactors (exclusive of the new power reactor scheduled for INL) and two other utilities have plans for new reactors. [2] There has also been an application for an early site permit at Exelon's Clinton Nuclear in Clinton, Illinois to install another reactor as well as a reactor restart at the Tennessee Valley Authority Browns Ferry nuclear station. [3]
[edit] References
- ^ "The Daily Sentinel." Commission, City support NuStart. Retrieved on December 1, 2006.
- ^ Press Release."NuStart Selects Grand Gulf, Bellefonte For Advanced Nuclear Plant Licenses." NuStart Energy. Retrieved on December 1, 2006.
- ^ Exelon Generation Company, LLC Application for the Clinton ESP Site." Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Retrieved on December 1, 2006.
